Danger! High Voltage!

I said at the last TOTW I did that I was getting quite into quasi-electronic music in the style of Friendly Fires and Late of the Pier.

So, diving into unsigned.com for this unsung, I thought that "Electronica" could be an interesting genre to pick bands from.

At the top of the page was Mute. An Anlgo-Canadian band who also describe themselves as alternative - so I thought I should like them. It wasn't quite what I was expecting - more like The Rasmus than I thought - but surprises are often good. Excellent production values meant I was listening to a slightly-rocky well sung set of music. I often say the test in unsung is if I could imagine hearing the music on the radio - and the answer here is an emphatic yes.

Adfinem recently worked on their latest EP with producer Ade Fenton, so it's no surprise I'm left rating the production values again. Far from a dodgy bedroom demo. Listening to Misunderstood, which apparently was going to be a single earlier this year, you can spot the Gary Numan-esque 80s electronica. However, it's anything but a cheap rip off, and the band can easily stand their own in the modern music scene, with just a hint of 'retro' to appeal to a slightly older market. It's a well worked balance, against the pure retro that's around a lot at the minute - and I'm quite taken by it.

Finally, I don't think I've ever referred to an Australian band yet (I've been waiting for a certain antipodean to make a post himself, but he's been suffering from internet worries - watch this space though), so I thought I'd put it right with Empty. Bearing in mind they're still classed as "Electronica", they're very different from the other two - probably more what people immediately think of when they hear "electronica". The band themselves say it's "Dark-Electro", and this is reflected not only in the song titles (Ghost besides you and Castrated being two examples), but definitely the music. This makes it too dark for me, and unfortunately not my cup of tea. But, musically, it's good stuff. I might not really enjoy it - but I can see people that will. They might not make it mainstream - but if you like your music 'underground', I'd keep your eyes peeled.